Frostproof Ices Aa Title

GAINESVILLE — A blocked extra-point attempt by Tony Wise preserved a 14-13 victory for Frostproof over Newberry in the Class AA Florida High School Football Championship Saturday at Florida Field.

''I saw the ball there, and all I had to do was reach for it,'' said Wise, a 6-foot-5 defensive end.

Wise's play capped a wild finish in which both teams scored in the final 1:16.

Frostproof (13-0) broke the 7-7 deadlock when Dennis Baldwin picked off a deflected pass and returned the interception 53 yards for the score. David Nelson's conversion would prove to be the difference.

Newberry (11-2) came right back to score on a 56-yard pass from Maurice Bell to Aundrae Hamilton with 41 seconds left.

''It was a very hard decision (whether to kick),'' Newberry coach Ed Janes said. ''There will always be a lot of ifs asked after this game, but at the time we felt it was the best decision.''

Frostproof played most of the game without Class AA's player of the year, Ernest Hamilton, the team's leading tackler and 1,000-yard rusher. Hamilton sprained a knee with 4:39 remaining in the first period and did not return.